Shine A Light On Your Secrets
by cloudyclarity
Summary: Mysterious creatures arrive in Forks and days later, Bella and Charlie are nearly killed. The Cullens go hunting for the culprits and eventually uncover deep secrets about the Swan family that change everything.
1. Forks Is a Melting Pot

**Bella's POV**

"Just tell me what's got everyone on edge, Edward," I demanded.

The supernatural creatures scattered around the den all turned to my boyfriend. His topaz eyes bore into me, willing me to drop the subject. I could do no such thing. For weeks, the Cullens have been behaving so strangely. The atmosphere was charged with a tension that I could gag on if I breathed too deeply. Individually, their actions had little to no cause for concern, but eventually it was difficult to believe that everything was just coincidence.

After a year, I could immediately recognize when the psychic pixie was accessing her ability. I asked if there was a new threat looming on our weekly girl's night, but she giggled in her wind chime-like fashion and told me that I worried too much. I let it go for a while, but as her distracted mood peaked more and more often so did my suspicions.

When Carlisle came in from the hospital, he made a beeline for his office and seldom came out before I left for home. This wasn't incredibly out of character for Carlisle; his office was his sanctuary but considering everything else, it was significant enough. And Esme may be a vampire, but she was a mother first and try as she might, she could not hide the worry she felt.

Jasper was the next clue. The leonine Texan had graduated from Forks High last summer, but seeing as Alice had another year he stayed behind. With all his free time, he was slowly warming up to me. I first noticed the change when he stopped edging out of a room that I had entered. Then, he engaged me in conversation. Mostly we spoke about my history assignments, but it was an improvement from the total silence we used to share. And then, his presence in the house went from nearly constant to almost nonexistent. It was a rare day that I caught more than a glimpse of him. Edward told me that he was having problems with his control and needed to hunt more often, but I doubted that. It was Edward himself that had jumpstarted my curiosity.

I knew him too well to not see the differences. His smile was emptier. His touch lingered in the way it did only when he was nervous or upset. He never made phone calls anymore. All of his communication with the others was nonverbal, either through texting or his telepathy. At least it was that way when he was around me. It hurt that he was going to such lengths to keep me in the dark. I thought we had gotten past all the secrets.

"I'll only assume the worst if you don't tell me," I said when the quiet glances had gone on long enough. In truth, I didn't know where to start with my assumptions. Since my vampire family joined with the Denalis this past summer to track down and kill Victoria, the only possibility was if the Volturi had gone back on their decision to let me be turned after our wedding.

"You know what happens when you assume, Belly-bean," Emmett jested, earning a glare from Rosalie. It was their return that had solidified my fears. They were supposed to be somewhere in the Sahara right now, celebrating their tenth or eleventh honeymoon in a buffet of bountiful sex and wildlife. Imagine my surprise and wariness when they showed up two months early. I couldn't pretend it was mere coincidence anymore.

"She's a part of this family now, son." Count on Carlisle to be the voice of reason.

"But why worry her if we're not sure of anything yet?"

Before I could open my mouth to remind him that I was in the room, Jasper voiced his opinion. "We may not have all the details, but to keep shielding her as you are when she has so obviously caught on is inconsiderate, Edward."

After tonight, it would be more than inconsiderate. It would be belittling. I may not be as strong or as fast as them, but if we were in danger he couldn't continue locking me away in an ivory tower. Edward swiped his fingers through his copper hair as a low rumble filled the air. That gentle growl was the one he gave when he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

"Fine. Sit down, Bella," he prompted and I moved onto the loveseat with Esme. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders in a one-armed embrace. I glanced at Alice in the corner. She was easy to miss, her body completely motionless. Jasper held onto her limp hand reassuringly. How bad could this be that after attempting for days, Alice still hadn't seized a proper vision?

"Do you know the couple that moved in down the lane from you?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest and resting his hip on the couch.

"Yeah. The Gibsons, I think?" Charlie dropped by their house before work to introduce himself as the chief of police and their new neighbor. He thought that even though they were young ("Too young to be married in my opinion," he had exclaimed), they didn't seem to want to cause any trouble. He said they spoke with a strange accent.

"Gideons," Rosalie hissed. I don't know if she's upset with my blunder or with the _Gideons_ themselves. With Rose it was either or.

"Oh. Well, how is this about them?"

"They're not human, sweetheart," Esme stated gently as if the answer would knock me off my rocker. It was hard to be shocked when you practically lived with vampires and were best friends with a werewolf. What was it about Forks and nonhuman beings?

"What are they then?"

"They're not vampires or shifters. Or werewolves, for that matter. We're not sure what they are or what their intentions could be," Carlisle said, his frustration evident.

"Have they hurt someone? Are they dangerous?" As I asked the question, I knew it was unlikely. If there was the slightest sign that they would harm me, Edward would have tried to whisk me away by now. They were just three houses down. Though lately, he didn't even wait for Charlie to fall asleep before he climbed through my window at night. I thought nothing of it. I didn't question what gave me more time in his arms.

"No, but I've been tracking their scents. It's tricky to follow because it fades so quickly, but we know they've been moving in a grid over the whole town," Jasper reported. So that's what he's been doing lately? Gathering intel?

"And are you being overly cautious or do you think there's a reason they moved into our neighborhood?" Don't let them be after me. Don't let them be after me.

"It's probable that they chose that vicinity for a specific purpose. It holds some importance to them because one always remains in the area. Most often the female stays while the male does the wider patrolling."

"Couldn't they be protecting what they consider their new territory?"

"It's a possibility."

Edward scoffed and threw up his hands. "The girl has been in Bella's backyard!"

"The girl has been in **every** backyard on the street. Don't jump to conclusions," the blonde vampire warned calmly. I've never heard Jasper raise his voice, but that reprimanding tone made his words just as impacting. There was an unmistakable authority that would not be ignored. In those moments, we were served a peek of the soldier so easily overlooked in his normally soft-spoken nature.

"How should the conclusions be reached then, **Major**? Should we sit back and study more? I can't read their minds, Alice can't predict their future, and you said yourself that their emotions are so muted, your empathy can't decipher them. We know absolutely nothing about them and they live down the damn street from my mate!" Edward angrily stalked towards Jasper and Jasper moved forward and bared his teeth.

"Come on guys! You know Esme doesn't allow dick measuring in the house!" Emmett joked as he and Carlisle stepped between them. Rosalie stood with her hands at her sides and waited to pounce if needed.

"Emmett!" Esme scolded as she kept me locked in my seat with one thin arm.

"I know this is no easy feat for you, **boy** but you should calm yourself down before I get fed up with your shit and decide to do it for you," Jasper growled. Alice blinked and came out of her stupor, taking her place next to her mate and laying a hand on his arm.

This was a first. Edward and Emmett butt heads all the time. Typically as a result of Emmett's pranks and general impropriety. He bickered with Alice and Rosalie in a conventional brother-sister manner, but never had I been witness to him arguing with Jasper. In fact, I hadn't seen anyone argue with Jasper ever.

"Enough!" Carlisle bellowed. Edward's snarls ceased and the room was totally quiet. "I apologize Bella, but I think it would be best if you left for home. It's getting late and there's not much else to share about the Gideons. Alice, if you would." The miniature vampire nodded, flitted away, and rematerialized by my side with my bag in hand. Edward opened his mouth to speak, but Carlisle cut off his attempt. "Don't. I need to speak with you both privately. In my office."

Jasper nodded minutely and headed for the stairs. Edward sped over to me, placed a chaste kiss on my lips and said, "I'm sorry for all of this," before following Jasper up to the second floor. The sound of the main door opening and closing alerted me to Emmett and Rosalie's departure. The only way Carlisle was going to get a private chat with his sons was if everyone cleared out.

"Come on, Bella. Charlie's going to call if you're not home in ten minutes," Alice uttered, grabbing my arm and tugging me towards the door. I looked at my watch and saw that I was indeed about to break my curfew. It was 10:55.

"Good night, Esme."

"Good night, dear. Be careful," she called after me.

* * *

When I turned onto my road, I couldn't help but stare at the Gideon's house. There wasn't a single light visible and that only made the situation infinitely more eerie. I was living three doors down from God only knows what and although Jasper was right about not jumping to conclusions, someone had been lurking in my backyard! It was cause for some concern.

"Don't worry. I'm sure if they were going to do anyone harm, they wouldn't have bought a house. Not with this market," Alice reassured me.

I hummed. I was halfway into a memory of the single time I had seen them. I was driving home from a movie with Jessica and though the sun had set, they were still unloading their moving truck. They were a handsome couple, both of them dark-haired, tall, and fit. The supernatural beings I knew had telltale attributes. The vampires had their odd-colored eyes, their radiant skin, their simple perfection. The wolves were huge, bulking masses that moved far too gracefully. The Gideons looked so…normal. It provoked so many doubts. How many other people have I met and they were something else entirely?

"What was that all about at the house? With Jasper and Edward?" I asked while I could. Maybe Alice would be straight with me now.

"Jasper and Edward disagree on how to handle the…them. Jasper said we should observe them cautiously because we don't what they're capable of and we don't need any enemies. Edward thinks we should confront them. In the end, Carlisle sided with Jasper's approach and Edward didn't take that too well. I think being the golden child has spoiled him a little."

I pulled into my driveway and cut off the engine. Shortly after, I saw the curtains flutter and knew Charlie had been waiting up for me.

"Maybe everyone's going about this too seriously. Ever think about calling them up? 'Hello. Welcome to the neighborhood! We're vampires and you are…?' I mean, what are the odds that they don't know you're vampires? Or that you've been following them?" I was babbling now. I was more uncomfortable with the entire ordeal than I initially thought.

"Good thinking, Bella. Perhaps we'll invite them over for a flask of deer blood and cookies," she teased, lighting up the compartment with her smile.

"You know what I meant. Just because you're big, bad creatures that hide from the human race, it doesn't mean you have to tiptoe around each other."

She laughed and hopped out of the truck. "Don't let your dreams get too wild tonight, Bella." And she was off, disappearing into the trees behind the house.

Charlie was on the couch in the flannel pajamas Alice bought him for his birthday when I made it inside. His shotgun was laid out on the cushion next to him.

Uh-oh.

"Hey, Dad. What's up with the hardware?"

"I thought I saw someone or something in the yard earlier when I was locking up. Better safe than sorry, I guess. By the way, you're late, kiddo," he replied, gripping the gun by the barrel with one hand and pushing off the sofa with the other.

"I know. I'm sorry. I lost track of time." There was no way I could come up with an excuse. My mind was too busy wondering what Charlie might have seen.

"Oh, it's only twenty minutes. I guess I can let it slide this once." He stretched his arms and I flinched when I heard his back make that horrible succession of pops, but his subsequent yawn gave no indication of pain. "Well, I'm gonna hit the sack. Don't forget to lock the deadbolt." His weaponless hand ruffled my hair and I swiped at it playfully.

"Get some sleep, old man."

"Ha-ha-ha, kid," he countered sarcastically before he disappeared up the staircase.

I peeped out of the window and when I saw not one flurry of movement, I decided it would do no good to worry. One of my vampire protectors was bound to be on watch and I needed to get some sleep.

Ugh…Charlie is going to burn the house down if the smell is any warning. Every once in a while, he would attempt a small breakfast before work and almost never failed to burn the bacon. If not the cruelty towards bacon, he over-salted the eggs.

I turn over and squint at the clock. That can't be right. 3:46? I rub my eyes and look again. 3:46. Charlie didn't have to go in that early. Where was that smell-?

I shoot up so quickly my head swam. Or maybe it was the smoke billowing into the room from under my door. I leap out of bed. My foot gets caught in the bed sheet and I fall to my knees. Hard. The pain races up my legs and it increases when I try to crawl towards…Where do I go? The smoke is pouring into my room far too rapidly. The fire is in the hallway.

Charlie?

Charlie! No. No, no, please no. Not like this. Please!

I want to scream, but when I open my mouth the smoke soars in and down my throat. I'm coughing violently and it hurts so badly, but I can't stop. Where's Edward? Why isn't he here? I don't realize that I've closed my eyes until I try to open them and it burns.

I can't see.

I can't breath.

I'm going to die. Why? Why me?

Is Charlie gone? Maybe he got out. Maybe someone saved him. Both of us can't die. We can't die.

There's a loud noise and something hits my back. A lot of little somethings. A few bigger somethings. I can't move to see what has hit me. All of a sudden, I'm not on the floor anymore. I'm not laying on anything. Someone has me. Edward? It has to be Edward. Oh, please, go get my dad.

...

It's not hot where I am now, but I still can't breathe right. I'm still coughing and it still hurts. Something wet is pressed to my face and the liquid goes up my nose, but it is welcome. It feels so nice. I can open my eyes. It's not easy, but I can do it.

Wait.

You're not Edward.

I don't even know you.

Wait. Yes, I do.

You're that male. Who's married to that female. You two did this to me…

What the fuck are you…?

**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do feel like I'm filling in for the King of Stating Obvious Shit though.**

**Edward and Bella are together for now. No worries. That will change in time! Mwah-ha-ha-*cough*... Moving on!  
**

**Although getting this story posted is an epic accomplishment in and of itself, reviews would make it unparalleled in divinity! So please, please, PLEASE REVIEW, lovelies! I don't know if you guys would be interested in a preview, but I have plenty 'round back. ;)**


	2. The More You Tell, The Less I Know

**Carlisle's POV**

Edward's phone beeped with an incoming text message. I glimpsed the blinding rage on his face before he flew through my window. Jasper and I shot off behind him without a word. Something was happening to Bella and Alice was supposed to be watching her tonight.

I didn't like this. Edward was the only one with information and I don't believe a great deal of information could be supplied with one text. We were running behind Edward, following the trail of devastation he left in his wake. Instead of avoiding the obstacles, he had kicked up roots and snapped branches completely in half. His anger was clouding his judgment and the consequences would be disastrous if Jasper and I didn't catch up to him in time.

The closer we got to Charlie and Bella's house, the stronger the smell of smoke became. For a moment, a vision of their bodies twisting in agony with bright flames licking their skin flashed before my eyes. I shook my head. Alice wouldn't let it get that far. Unless...she was burning with them. No. I can't think like that. We're not too late.

We were seconds away when we heard an awful collision. And then vicious growling. Edward was grappling with someone. Perhaps Edward was right. We should have taken a more active course with those…Gideons. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to my family because of my errors. Jasper proposed the idea, but in the end, it was my word that led to this.

When we reached the yard, Charlie and Bella were comatose on the grass and the house was entirely enveloped. There would be no saving it. Edward was having difficulty gaining a grip on the male and the tussle was getting dangerously close to the unconscious pair. Jasper noticed this and shot off, but his target was not the one I expected. He rammed into Edward and they went soaring across the lawn and into a large tree. Luckily, the force was only enough to shake a limb and a few cones loose. It'd be difficult to explain a healthy fallen tree that was nowhere near the fire. Meanwhile, the male had sprinted off into the woods with a speed that truly rivaled our own.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Edward roared.

"Would you take your head out of your ass for once? You could have killed them!" Jasper waved at Charlie and Bella and I went over to examine them further. I already knew they were mostly unharmed. Their heartbeats were a bit erratic but hadn't reached a perilous pace. I smelled no burnt flesh or blood. They would be fine. Bella was even beginning to stir.

"Where-?" she tried to ask, but it triggered a coughing fit.

"No. Don't try to speak. You're alright. As is Charlie. Just lie back." She stubbornly tried to sit up so I pressed her down with one hand on her shoulder. "Be still. Doctor's orders, Bella." She listened that time and closed her eyes. Residue coated most of her body except for her face. It had been cleaned with water. I gave a quick glance to Charlie and saw that his face was the same. Odd.

A commotion was stirring. The neighbors had filed out of their homes and were clamoring on the sidewalk. I heard the sirens advancing; they were four miles out. There was no way to justify our being here. Our cars were at home and at any rate, it was much too late for us to be visiting the Swans. We needed to leave and that would prove difficult. Edward wouldn't leave Bella now if someone held a torch to his head.

Someone else was coming. I stood and faced the direction of the noise, but it was just Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett. Alice was still uncounted for and it disturbed me greatly. Esme covered her mouth with her hands and I knew she would be crying if she were able. Rosalie and Emmett were frozen in place.

"Jasper, go after him. Find out if he's done something to Alice." Jasper's nostrils flared and then he tore off without a word. I looked to Emmett and Rosalie. "Go with him." They left obediently.

I turned to find Edward had taken Bella into his arms, stroking her hair and cooing to her. I sighed. I would never get him to part from her. "Edward, follow the ambulance. Do not let yourself be seen. The hospital will call me when they're admitted and then you can see to her." He glared at me for a few seconds before he complied. After placing a kiss to Bella's forehead, he darted off into the shadows to wait.

I held my hand out to Esme and she took it hesitantly. She was still concerned for Charlie and Bella. My beautiful, tender-hearted wife. "They'll be fine, darling. I promise."

"But Carlisle, I-"

"Please, Esme, trust me. When they get to the hospital, I will treat them myself. But we must go now." She blinked the venom away. I squeezed her hand and took one last look at the Swans. They appeared so fragile laying there in their sleep dress. Why would anyone want to harm them? They were only human.

**

* * *

Jasper's POV**

I had been following the Gideons for days so I had some idea of their capabilities. They were just as fast as us so I expected it to be a lengthy chase. Safe to say, those expectations were utterly shattered. We had gotten to the outskirts of town when I found him standing in a clearing. Just waiting for me to arrive.

"I don't want to fight you, but I will if you insist," he warned. I may not have been able to get a clear read on his emotions, but I could tell he was livid. His too-green eyes glowed with it. His clothes were ragged from the fight with Edward and small gusts of wind carried the dense, smoky smell on his skin to my nose. He was bleeding from a wound on his arm, but it didn't present the slightest temptation. It wasn't revolting like the wolves, but it smelled more like dirt than food.

"What did you do with Alice?" I asked. It wasn't like her to let us worry, but I had faith in Alice. She wouldn't do anything drastic with her abilities as unreliable as they had been lately.

"The little psychic?" I nodded. "I caught her scent when the winds changed, but I have not seen her tonight."

"Liar!" Rosalie shrieked, running towards us. I seized her about the waist and held her back. "If you've hurt her, I will tear you to pieces!" Emmett sprinted into the field next, scanning the scene before him. He was confused. I was restraining his mate and the perpetrator was simply watching us. If I walked in on this sight, I would be confused as well.

"We need to listen to him now," I declared to them and they looked at me skeptically.

"Oh, yes! We can have a nice chitchat about how he likes to burn people alive and how he's probably done the same to your wife!" It was always worthy of note how Rose stuck to her biting sarcasm even at times like these. I pushed her towards Emmett and he gripped her shoulders to keep her still. Emmett recognized when a method besides violence was necessary. I always thought he would make a good soldier.

"I saved their lives! My wife and I leapt into a burning building to save your _precious_ humans. Believe me: if we were here to kill them, you would have never laid an eye us. And we wouldn't have done it with something as ostentatious as fire." he spat in an offended tone.

"Why are you here then?" I questioned and he looked away. He didn't want to answer me, but he for some reason he did.

"We're here to protect them."

"Ha! Well, you're doing a spectacular job, aren't you?" Rosalie laughed darkly. I shook my head. I believed him. If their mission was to kill Bella and her father, there were infinitely more subtle ways to do it. Whatever they were, these Gideons were slippery, clever creatures. They had plenty of opportunity. And someone had obviously carried the Swans out of the fire. They weren't to blame for this.

"We're doing such a spectacular job that I think you should be showing a little more gratitude," he retorted. Rose bared her teeth and snarled at him.

"What are you protecting them from?" Again, he was reluctant to answer and when he finally did, it was in a very careful way.

"Others…like us." He was definitely hiding something.

"And what exactly are you?" Took the words out of my mouth, Em.

"Daemons." He was quick to supply that answer. An answer that in turn supplied an eerie silence. Emmett was the first to recover.

"You're going to have to repeat that for me," he said stoically. Rosalie stopped struggling in his arms. Her shock was short-lived however. She rolled her eyes and snorted, but remained speechless.

"I think you know what I said. I do hate the English translation. It implies that we are nothing more than Satan's whores."

"That reminds me…where is your wife?" Rose slighted. The male shook with rage before gnashing his teeth to collect himself.

"The daemon responsible for the fire sent a drudge back to ensure that the humans were dead. The coward ran and she is pursuing him." He breathed deeply as his eyes rolled in his head. "She's captured him. No. He's dead. Absolutely dead." He sighed in exasperation. They had some sort of mental link. That would make their dodgy movements easy, wouldn't it? "And she's also found your psychic."

I felt Emmett and Rose's relief gently roll into my own.

"Is she alright?" I asked.

"She's alive," he replied evasively. I was about to press for a better answer when they came into view. The woman looked as frenzied as any nomad, her hair was in disarray with leaves and twigs nestled in the raven strands and her clothes were tattered to the point where a strong enough wind could leave her naked. Her hand was covering a gaping wound in her side and the other was gripping Alice's wrist to staunch the venom flow. Someone had ripped off Alice's hand. Alice carried the severed appendage in her other hand. Her eyes found me and she rushed over. I wrapped her in my arms and rubbed her back in large circles. Her weariness and shame was stifling.

"I fell for it. One of them drew me away from the house. I chased him all the way to Canada before figuring it out. I managed to contact Edward, but then he cornered me and-"

"Shhh. Don't do that. Bella and Charlie are okay. And so are you. That's what's important. Let me see." I reached for her arm and she held it up to me. I'd never seen this before. When a limb is removed from a vampire, it is either bitten or torn off. The surface is left ragged and uneven. Alice's injury was slanted and smooth as though someone had sliced off her hand. But that wasn't possible. There wasn't a blade dense enough to cut through our skin. I took the severed hand and twisted it around to search for the proper angle so we could start the fusing process. It took a few tries since the flat, venom-soaked flesh kept sliding when we forced it together, but it finally began to heal.

There was a great deal of hissing coming from across the clearing. I looked over to see the Gideons arguing in an unfamiliar language. He was slapping her hand away from her side and she was attempting to repel him. He huffed and started yelling and she recoiled for only a second before pushing at his chest and yelling back just as loudly. Emmett snickered at the sight. I had to admit that it was funny in a twisted, supernatural way.

"She saved me. She killed the one that was about to take off my head. She has the knife that did this." Alice held up her damaged arm. "And she took care of the other one too. She saved me, Jasper."

"Did she tell you anything about why they're here?" I whispered even though I was certain they could hear me.

"No. She said she needed to talk to Charlie first." Charlie? Why did she want to talk to Charlie? As far as I knew, the chief didn't know these people. I hated all these fucking secrets. I half-wanted to beat the answers out of them, but attacking them would only make things worse. If the vampire-proof knives were any clue, there were too many mysteries to these daemons. Mysteries that could very well end up killing me in a way I didn't know I could be killed.

"Although I'd love to watch them bicker all night, we need answers. You said so yourself. Right now, the only theory I've gathered from this shit-storm is that Charlie must have sold his soul to the devil and the hellish Cleavers over there are here to collect." Rosalie said. I looked at the couple and they were staring back at us, perplexed expressions on their faces. I bet they've never seen an episode of Leave It to Beaver.

"Whatever," he disregarded. I've officially decided that this guy is an asshole. "But she does pose an interesting question, _Alina. _When do you suppose we'll get to the answers?" he mockingly asked.

"I suppose that would be up to you, _Vincent_. Did you heal them as I asked?" she replied in a sickly-sweet manner.

"They have a fair amount of toxins to regurgitate and the displacement of the girl's knee was relatively minor. They'll be perfectly fine."

"You healed them?" Alice inquired. Her limb was sturdy enough that we didn't need to hold it in place.

"I injected them with an enzyme that helps force out foreign chemicals and repairs nerves. Their bodies should have no physical sign of what happened by sunset," Vincent explained, tossing us all into silence again. No one expected a scientific answer. We all assumed he had some kind of restorative power.

"They're going to the hospital, aren't they?" Alice fretted. "We need to tell Carlisle to intercept any tests-"

"No human test could detect that compound. Don't worry about that," the girl interrupted, but her words didn't ease Alice's apprehension. I felt it along with her determination. She would call Carlisle as soon as she had the chance. I supported that choice. There was no telling the effects of the drugs he administered. Better safe than sorry.

"We need to get home and heal ourselves. Tonight, we'll tell you more," Alina said before taking her husband's hand and heading back into town.

"Just what the hell are you staring at?" Rose cried while smacking Emmett in the arm. I noticed that he had been gaping at the girl for a while. I wondered when Rose was going to pick up on it.

"Damn, Rose! It's not like that. It's just-" He rubbed at the back of his neck. "You guys are honestly telling me that you didn't notice?"

"Notice what? Her rack?" Rose was irritated to no end. Not just for her husband's fascination with another woman, but with the entire ordeal. I could relate.

"No. I mean that she looks familiar." I recalled her face with my eidetic memory. Now that Em mentioned it, she did seem familiar, but there was no chance I had been anywhere near that girl in the past. Her blood's lack of appeal would have definitely garnered my attention.

"Dudes, come on. It would only take five seconds in Photoshop to turn that woman into a Bella-clone."

Well, I'll be damned…

**

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Disclaimer: I ain't Stephenie Meyer. I don't owns no part of Twilight.**

**I hope I didn't disappoint with the big reveal! Well, in comparison to what's coming, it's not that big actually.**

**I didn't go with witches because I wanted creatures that I could rough up and get dirty with. I didn't go with fairies because it's difficult for me to not picture Tinkerbell's ass flittering around when they used that tactic in the Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood. I didn't pull something original out of my arse because it would have been either incredibly dull or incredibly complicated. **

**So you get demons. Oops. Daemons. Vincent is highly offended by the term D-E-M-O-N. And plus, there are so many different types of daemons. They're like Pokemon. So diverse and delightful in their own ways.**

**Just in case there are religion-sensitive readers, I'm not here to support or rebut the existence of God/Satan. Therefore, they won't be mentioned often.**

**Everyone who reviewed for the last chapter and reviews for this one will get an excerpt that didn't quite fit into this chapter.**

**And remember:**

"**Friends will keep you sane. Love will fill your heart. Lovers can warm your bed, but lonely is the soul without a mate." ~ David Pratt *hint, hint* ;)**


	3. What Time Does Your Mind Open

**Charlie's POV**

It was hard to swallow everything that happened. My daughter and I were almost burned alive. The house I was raised in was annihilated. Although it was overwhelming, I had responsibilities. I've already spoken to the insurance company. The jerk-offs. They were masters at transferring people and asking for information that no longer existed. I wanted to scream into the receiver, "The account number went up with the damn house!" but my throat was still a little too sore for that.

After a proper shower, I realized that I was in pretty good shape. When I was released from the hospital, I was weak from all the coughing and vomiting, but I was moving around better now. Considering how I was a few minutes away from knockin' on heaven's door, I expected to feel a lot worse. I had even managed to keep down the fish Billy cooked up for me.

I was laid out on his couch now, watching last week's game for the third time. Billy had rolled up next to me seven minutes into the second quarter and I could tell that he wanted to ask me something. He was fidgeting too much to not have something on his mind, but I trusted that he would get around to it eventually.

I didn't have to wait long. I was fast-forwarding past the half-time commercials when he spoke. "I know that we don't have as much room as the Cullens, but I'm sure we could make space for Bella." I suspected that was coming. I paused the game and sat up. When I strolled through the hospital exit without Bella, Jacob and Billy both seemed disappointed. I wasn't exactly happy with it myself and I was sure to let Bella know that. With everything that had happened, I was reluctant to let her out of my sight. In the end, my daughter flashed the legal-adult card and pointed out that the Blacks really didn't have enough room for the both of us. Neither of us breached the subject of Carlisle's offer. Back at the hospital as I signed my discharge papers, he graciously invited me to stay at his house for as long as needed, but I declined. Even though I thought the Cullens were good people, I didn't feel comfortable mooching off them until there was another place for us to live. Bella spent every waking moment over there anyway.

"Billy, I know how you feel about the Cullens. And you know how ridiculous I think that is. But you and I both know that even if Bella wanted to come here, it would be too crowded. Someone would end up sleeping in the middle of this living room on that inflatable bed you bought before the kids could walk. I don't want to put you out more than I am." As it was, I had taken up residence on the sofa.

My oldest friend shook his head. "You're not putting anyone out. If you were, I'd have no problem letting you live out of your cruiser." I laughed at the image. At least it would cut down my commute time. "It's just that…if I went through what you did, I wouldn't want Jacob living on the other side of town."

"That's easy for you to say. Easier for you to do even. Your tree trunk of a kid may look it, but he isn't eighteen yet. You still have _some _control over where he goes. If Bella truly wants to be there, I can't stop her. Besides, there's not much reason to worry. She was released with a clean bill of health, same as me. And over there, she has in-house medical care."

"And an in-house boyfriend," Billy said. That was low. He knew I was avoiding that train of thought. Of course it irked me that for weeks she would be under the same roof as her boyfriend. Correction: fiancé. I shuddered at that word. When they announced their engagement a few days before their senior year started, I thought something had burst behind my right eye. Since then I've decided to allow Bella to make her own mistakes. Especially while she had Renee's support. I hoped harder than I ever hoped before that things worked out for Bella, but I had a constant heaviness in my gut that said it wouldn't. I wanted to be wrong for the sake of my only child, but it wasn't a feeling I could ignore. I could only be there for her when she needed me. I considered doing everything in my power to hamper her relationship with Edward, but Bella was as stubborn as I was when I was her age. When my parents tried to pry me from Renee, I ended up on the fast track to marriage and fatherhood. I knew firsthand that pushing her was too risky.

"And if she came here, wouldn't there be a wannabe boyfriend practically on top of her?" I may have liked Jacob more than Edward, but he was a boy infatuated with my daughter. The thought of them in such close quarters unnerved me more than her taking up with the Cullens.

"You would be here to keep an eye on her and what's more, Jacob wouldn't do anything disrespectful."

"Disrespectful like kissing her without her permission?" He glared at me then. He wouldn't win this argument. Things were what they were. "Please respect the decision I've made about _my_ kid, Billy. Like I respect yours." I was getting seriously close to the belt area, but he started it. Jacob's lack of curfew was slightly disturbing, but it seemed most of the kids he spent his time with followed the same rule. I had no idea what a bunch of high school kids could get up to so late and never stir up any trouble, but the rez policed itself. It wasn't my territory.

"Fine," he grumbled and picked up the remote. And that was the end of it. We watched the rest of the game and then a Sylvester Stallone marathon on USA. I didn't care for Rocky, but I wasn't about to spark the slightest conflict. I couldn't focus on it anyway. For a few minutes, a nagging sensation had spread over the base of my skull. I blamed the weird position I wound up in during that last nap.

A knock sounded on the front door and I was glad for whoever it was. Dr. Cullen may have ordered bed rest, but it felt like I had been doing nothing but resting for the past twenty-four hours. That and peeing from all the water Billy tossed at me.

I was up before he could unlock his chair and heading for the door. It was Alina Gideon, the woman that moved into town a few days ago. She was also the person that saved my life.

I couldn't put a name to the face I saw between the smoke and flames, but now that she stood right in front of me, I knew it was her. And her husband was the man I saw with Bella. The other officers took the description I gave them and hadn't found anything. Everything about that night was a blur, but I now recognized her long frame as the one that set me down on the grass. Her long dark hair was the hair that brushed my face as she leaned over me.

"I'm sorry to drop by unannounced, but there are some things we need to discuss," she said with a pleasant smile. I almost asked how she knew where to find me, but this was Forks. The whole town knew my hospital room number by breakfast.

"There certainly are. Come in." I stepped aside and she walked in. I wasn't the tallest man in the world, but I felt a lot shorter than my 5'11" when standing next to a woman who could look me dead in the eye without moving her head. She wasn't even wearing heels. She went over to Billy and held out her hand. He took it, but I saw his hesitation.

"Hello, Mr. Black. It's nice to meet you," she greeted routinely.

"Nice to meet you too," he replied just as robotically. Maybe Billy didn't like strangers. It was the only way to explain his apprehension. We don't get many of them in town and certainly not on the reservation.

"I don't want to inconvenience you, but we need to speak in private." She turned to me expectantly. I wouldn't ask Billy to leave his own house.

"You can talk in front of me. I'm good at keeping secrets," Billy interjected.

"I'm sure you can, Mr. Black," There was a pregnant pause where they glowered at one another. "But what I have to say will be difficult enough. I need to speak with him alone."

There was that feeling. That feeling I got when people were hiding things from me. It surfaced often when I came on the reservation or when I spent enough time around the Cullens. I sensed it even around Bella lately. I despised it, but maybe this woman would be straightforward with me. It would be so refreshing to not have bullshit put on my plate by the people in my life.

"It'll be fine, Billy. We'll be on the back porch." I waved to the kitchen and Alina strode through with one last look down at Billy. He scowled back at her. I sighed loudly and followed her.

When the door closed behind us, she went to the railing and stared out at the forest. Every so often, she would open her mouth to speak, but shut it again. What did she have to say that was so difficult? Was there more to the fire? Did she know something about it? When she ran both hands through her hair in a frustrated motion, I decided to start.

"You and your husband were there. You saved me and my daughter."

She nodded slightly, but didn't look at me.

"I'm grateful for that. More than I can say really, but I can't help but wonder why you took off. I'm also curious about how you saved us. The fire had overtaken the stairs and I'm pretty sure you couldn't haul me through my bedroom window, but I won't ask about that now."

"You don't ask many questions, do you, Mr. Swan? Why is that?" she asked, stumping me a bit. It was my turn to be speechless. "Is it because you don't want to admit to the secrets in your town? There are so many weird things surrounding you and yet you never truly investigated them. You can't not know. Don't tell me that you don't. You're an observant man."

I-.

There just-.

I sighed again. My brain couldn't come up with an excuse. Yes, I noticed things. I noticed how the Cullens had the same odd-colored eyes even though some of them weren't related through blood. I also noticed that those same golden eyes could turn black sometimes. I noticed that Alice, Carlisle, and Edward had cold skin. Almost unnaturally so. I didn't know about the rest of them since I'd never gotten that close. I noticed that all the Quilete boys in Sam's makeshift gang looked a hell of a lot older than they really were and ran hot. I noticed all sorts of things, but I ignored them because I had no clue what they meant. I wasn't sure I wanted to know and no one was bothering to tell me the truth. What else could I do? Start making wild accusations and get thrown into the state mental institution?

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"I have many things to tell you and I'm pretty sure most of it will upset you, but I think you deserve to know the truth. Particularly because you're firmly in the middle of all this."

"What is _this _exactly?" I sat down on an uncomfortable metal chair and she did the same.

"You're in danger, Mr. Swan," she said softly, catching me with wide brown eyes.

"You mean the fire?"

"Yes."

"Why am I-? Who would want to-?" Questions were whirling around in my head so quickly, my mouth couldn't finish forming one before moving to the other.

"You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this, Mr. Swan. And I am so very sorry this is happening to you and your daughter, but you need to know that I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe."

"Bella! Is someone after Bella?" If there was, I needed to get to her and…do something. I didn't know what, but I couldn't sit around and let something else happen to my family.

"No. She won't go after your daughter. Her primary concern is you, but for your peace of mind, my husband is guarding Isabella as we speak." It was conflicting what I felt in that moment. There was relief and despair crashing down on me all at once.

"Who is _she_?"

"Twenty years ago, a woman came and took something from you. For her own scientific purposes. Our authorities are starting an investigation and so she's trying to…clean up house, so to speak. She believes in leaving no proof intact."

A woman stole something from me and that's what this was all about? I considered the fact that maybe I was talking to a psycho, but her eyes dug into mine with such anguish that it was hard not to believe what she was saying.

"It's unlikely for there to be proof of a theft committed two decades ago. And whatever this woman took wasn't very significant since I didn't miss it."

"It was significant enough, I promise you." She breathed in deeply and wrung her hands. "This is where you have to make a choice, Mr. Swan. This is the more incredible part of the story and if you do decide to believe it, it opens the door to everything you doubt. The Cullens, the Quilete, everything." She reached for my hand and I gave it to her. "You already know that there's something more to this world, but you haven't accepted it. You have to do that now before I can tell you any more."

Could I accept it? I rubbed at my eyes with the hand she wasn't holding. My brain was working overtime. I was born and raised in Forks, a small town where nothing happened. And it's lack of action was what kept me here. I loved the quiet predictability. Day to day, there were no surprises. Nothing shook my little corner of the world. Was I willing to give that up? If it meant keeping my daughter and I out of harm's way, then yes.

"Okay. Spit it out before I lose my nerve."

"Right. Well, let's start with the more general things and work back to the more personal ones." I bit the inside of my cheek and told her that was fine. "The Cullens aren't human. Nor are they dangerous. The Quilete boys are more human than the Cullens, but they are indeed different. Yes, Isabella knows all about them. And my husband and I are something else entirely. I'm part human, but…I don't really identify with it," she rattled off. I frowned and stood up. She remained quiet as I paced the porch, repeating the information to myself.

The Cullens aren't human. Neither are the rez boys.

Bella knew, but didn't tell me. And Billy. I was certain he was wise to all of this as well. He was supposed to be my friend, my brother. How could he hide this from me?

"You say they're not human. What the hell are they then?"

"I don't want to use names because they are so misleading. Most of what you think you know is a total fabrication. I need you to understand that. They are still the people that you trust. They simply have their own secrets."

"They're not human!" I heard a thud from inside the house. "You're not human!" I yelled at her. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

"Mr. Swan, please. You don't know me, but I swear on my life that I'm not here to hurt you," she pleaded. Billy came out then, the door striking her violently in the back. She barely flinched.

"What did you say to him?" Billy shouted at her.

"I told him the truth. How could you sleep at night knowing that your best friend was surrounded by lies that you helped maintain? He has the right to know!" As her voice grew louder, a minor hiss wrapped around most of her speech. That wasn't natural. I found myself stepping backwards and the movement caught their attention.

"Charlie, please." Billy said. Charlie, please what? Don't be wary of you or the hissing lady?

"Please, don't judge us because we're not like you, Mr. Swan." Her words struck me in the gut. She appeared so young then, gazing at me with those gentle eyes. I plopped down in another chair and it creaked with my sudden weight. I forced myself to calm down. Everyone had been lying to me. My oldest friend. My daughter. A few hours ago, my biggest problem was getting connected to the right department at the insurance agency. And now…I lifted my head to study them. Alina Gideon looked so normal standing there in a Pink Floyd t-shirt and jeans and Billy was oozing worry, adding years to his age.

"Tell me the rest of the story, kid." A heart-melting smile made its way onto her face and I was tempted to smile back. I didn't because my brain wasn't sending the proper signals quite yet. "And call me Charlie. The Mr. Swan stuff is a little too formal for this."

**

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This was a difficult chapter because I felt like it moved too quickly and slowly at the same time. No Bella or Jasper this chapter, but Charlie is going to be central to this story. It is important to hear his side of things every once in a while. More of the mystery unfolded and my meter says there's about thirty-one percent left to reveal. Leave your guesses about what happens next!**

**There's a community that added my story! It's called Non-Canon Love and I'm not sure which of the staff did it, but thank y'all so much. **

**I thought last chapter turned a lot of readers off. It got plenty of favorites and alerts (thanks to the readers responsible for those) but only one review (thanks to LordXeenTheGreat). I'm going to dig deep for some optimism and assume that the holidays were the reason for the silence from you guys.**

**Speaking of, I hope everyone had a good New Year's! I wish y'all the best in 2011!  
**


	4. You Either Fight Fate or Ignore It

**Jasper's POV**

It had been over a week since the fire and the Cullen house had become a base of sorts. It took days to convince Charlie that he was safest living with us. Understandably, he didn't like the idea, his pride and lack of faith in us the primary sources of his discomfort. The chief didn't care for depending on others for protection. I could feel his growing irrelevance. I often fed him bits of confidence and security because there were days that he strongly considered leaving, but he knew Bella wouldn't leave with him and so he was highly conflicted.

The decision to bring Charlie into the Cullen house wasn't made easily. None of us wanted to force the chief's hand, but ultimately having him and Bella under the same roof made shielding them easier. The Gideons still took the lead seeing as they knew the most about our enemies and thought if one of them stayed within earshot of Charlie, it would reduce the chance of any more close calls. They were pretty sure that if the enemy came again, they wouldn't set out to harm Bella. It was a matter of 'wrong place, wrong time' with her, but none of us were convinced with that reasoning. Someone had nearly killed part of our family. We weren't going to sweep that under the rug based on conjecture.

Bella wasn't happy that Charlie was in on everything. By Bella's logic, when the daemon spilled the freaky beans to Charlie, she had placed him in harm's way. It was a serious concern amongst all of us until Carlisle phoned Aro. The Volturi leader was oddly forgiving of the situation. To my understanding, Aro changed his tone when he learned that daemons were involved. He even offered some of his guards to assist us. None of us were surprised that the Italian brothers knew about daemons. With eons of existence between them, there was little that they didn't know about.

But even with Charlie's pending pardon, Bella hadn't warmed up to Alina. Not to say that she was friendly with Vincent. No one was friendly with that dick. I suspected that Bella didn't approve of Alina telling Charlie the truth when she hadn't. It was a sensitive subject that I wasn't going to touch. I couldn't get close to Bella anyway. Not if Eddie-boy had anything to say about it.

I sighed and set aside my book on European military strategy. If I was honest, I understood Edward's behavior. A few weeks ago Alice had a vision. Only the three of us were wise to it. Apparently, it was of Bella and me embracing like lovers, our arms clinging to one another and she had no clue when it would happen. We were in a clearing after dark but she didn't recognize the location. At first, I was dismissive of it and I was wrong to be. I couldn't see the picture in Alice's mind, but it was convincing enough to make her doubt our relationship. It wasn't long before Edward picked the vision from Alice and safe to say, it infuriated him. Things have been rocky ever since.

By the time the Gideons moved into town, I was relieved for the distraction. Alice was in emotional turmoil and if I did anything to manipulate her into a calmer state, she'd fly off the handle and disappear for hours at a time. She was standoffish to Bella, but I believed Bella mistook it for preoccupation with the daemons.

Alice was torn. For so long, Alice relied on her visions. They were her truth and her faith. Never had she wanted to completely disregard one of them. If she was shown a horrible future, she saw it as fate giving her an opportunity to change it. And then this one came and she had no idea how to prevent it.

I didn't want to believe that Alice's vision was true. I owed Alice everything. I would have been dead if she hadn't pranced into that diner decades ago and taken my hand. She led me into this life and I was happier than I had ever been. I owed her _everything_. I didn't want to cause her any pain or bring any more disorder to the family that had taken us in. How many times have we had to uproot myself because of my poor control? I couldn't do this to them. I wouldn't.

Edward's reaction to the vision was expected. He glared daggers at me during every waking moment and stuck to Bella like a leech. He knew what I thought about their relationship. I had never truly been supportive of it. In the beginning, I was the one that voted with Rosalie to kill her. At the time, I figured that if we did it, it would be far more humane than if the Volturi got wind and came for her. She would disappear one night and never be seen again. Now, I was ashamed that I ever plotted to kill Bella. She was a beautiful person with the most forgiving heart that I'd ever met.

She was young and naïve though. Traits both she and Edward shared. They weren't in love. They were obsessed with one another and no one could tell a centuries-old empath different. When two people first fall in love there is an obsession that shrouds all other feelings, but with time the overwhelming feelings dissipate and the constant ebb and flow of love is all that's left. That wasn't happening between Edward and Bella. The obsession was strengthening to the point where it was suffocating them. It wouldn't last and when it ended, it wouldn't end pretty.

I pitied them; Bella more so than Edward. Edward has had decades to become a man, to start thinking and feeling as a man and he has never really made the attempt. Not in all the years I've known him. Bella deserved better than him. She deserved better than all of this really. Edward bitched and moaned until he had her and he wouldn't let her go. Not without a damn miracle from somewhere in the cosmos. And I didn't sing little ditties in my head to hide my true thoughts from Mr. Holier-Than-Thou. That didn't necessarily dampen the growing resentment he had towards me. Well, fuck him. I didn't want Bella. I had Alice and I was happy with her. I couldn't leave her.

Edward growled from down the hall and I took an unneeded breath just to force it out in an aggravated huff. He wasn't the only one who thought his mind-reading was a bother. I heard a yipping noise from the backyard and rose to investigate. When I reached the window, I saw there was no cause for concern. It was only a couple of the wolves and it was a sight I didn't think I'd live to see. They were so adamant about territories that we made the same demands of our lands, but when they heard the Swans were in danger, Sam was ready to make amendments to the treaty. Until the threat had passed, the state of Washington was open for everyone to move about freely.

If I weren't there for the initial meeting a few nights ago I wouldn't have believed it, but Alina was literally a little charmer. As she spoke to the pups, I could taste a change in the air. It was succulent and sweet and her voice was even sweeter. It dripped with honey as she pleaded with them to allow us to span the entire area. We gave each other skeptical looks when Sam complied with her request, but stayed quiet. The female in the pack expressed her differing opinion rather loudly, but with a short command, she fell silent. Whatever Alina had done to influence their decision was necessary. Carlisle wasn't totally at ease with her tactics, but he understood. We needed to make them see reason if we were to protect Charlie to our fullest ability and it wasn't very different from the calmness I forced on them at times.

The door to the library opened behind me. Speak of the devil. Carlisle walked over to stand next to me where we watched Alina and two of the wolves scamper around playfully. Seth and Embry, I believed.

"I spoke to Aro again and he knows very little about the woman that's after Charlie, but it's significant." Carlisle had been fact-checking with all his sources. He wasn't about to go solely on the word of the Gideons. I would have done the same, but everyone I knew was just as ignorant about daemons as the rest of us.

"Lorelei Rodham is very prominent in their community. She's a scientist that has supplied many inventions that helped better their lives and allowed them to successfully assimilate into human society. She's also very old. Older than any of us." He pinched the bridge of his nose. The Gideons told us that this Lorelei had snuck into Charlie's house as he slept and took blood and skin samples. They said they didn't know to what purpose she used them, but I strongly doubted that. "Aro says that if she's being investigated for any wrong-doing, it is unlikely that she will be punished."

"How come?"

"This woman is a succubus. Her powers of persuasion are what make her so powerful. The ruling classes that can investigate her are mostly comprised of men and so she uses her sway to slip through the cracks."

"A real succubus?" I asked incredulously. He nodded. He was serious then. "Who is investigating her then?"

"The women in higher establishment. Like I said…there aren't very many of them."

"So they can't control her." He nodded again. If Alina was in a position of power among her kind, it explained her involvement. They had told us so little. "Are vampire males susceptible to her?"

"They have theories. None of the brothers have been close enough to answer surely."

"Hmph. Of course they haven't." Our only dependable source of information was from two shady strangers and we weren't sure if we could get close to the true enemy. Strategically, the odds were not favoring us.

"Aro said he would contact us if he found anything more, but he doesn't have a forthcoming relationship with the daemons. Gathering information won't be simple," Carlisle said matter-of-factly and folded his arms over his chest. He was frustrated. Frustration had stretched to cover the entire house. It was constant these days.

Presently, I could say with confidence that we were in prime position to be fucked.

**

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Bella's POV**

Charlie wasn't speaking to me. He wasn't speaking to anyone. He would grunt whenever someone tried to communicate with him, but that was the extent of his conversational ability. I couldn't really blame him for his disinterest in talking. He felt betrayed by everyone around him.

I couldn't help but feel guilty when he looked at me. His eyes would lock on me and I saw the doubt there. I had lost Charlie's trust and I would have to work tirelessly to regain it. Alina had no right to tell him. I wished I had known her intention. I wished I had the chance to speak to her before she had gone to speak with my father. I would have stopped her. I needed to be the one that told him the truth if he ever had to know it.

I never wanted to judge someone before I got to know them, but the Gideons rubbed me the wrong way. I think they rubbed everyone the wrong way. Kind-hearted Esme was unexpectedly hesitant to the newcomers. It was the way that they showed up out of the blue and danger happened to trail in after them. It had everyone tense. No one objected when they said they would camp out in the woods surrounding the house in order to be at the ready, but the matron of the family wasn't wholly unreceptive. She bought food that they liked and stored it in the fridge. Alina actually preferred organic fruit and Vincent ate foods high in protein. We were all astonished to hear that. Perhaps we were being stereotypical.

Edward seemed to be the most nervous. He looked almost skittish when they drew near. I tried to calm him down and assure him that everything was fine, but I didn't believe what I was saying. I was still terrified. Carlisle had to prescribe me sleeping pills after the third day of abnormally fitful sleeping. They worked, but in spite of the decent dosage, I didn't feel rested. Just mentally numb.

"Are you alright, love?" Edward asked, slipping his arms around my waist. I sighed and leaned against him. We were in his room, locked away from the rest of the family. It was getting crowded lately.

"Yes. I just…want things to be as they were." Before daemons and before…no, that was it. Everything was cool before the daemons arrived.

"I want that as well. I want you to be away from all this madness." His hold tightened on me.

"But I can't. That daemon may be after Charlie, but I can't leave just to protect my own hide. He needs my support." He was shaking his head before I finished. I sighed, "What would you do, Edward?" I wasn't positive that I wanted his answer.

"You could have been burned alive. Don't you see how perilous it is for you to remain here?" I could hear the anxiety building in him. I didn't need the reminders of the Swans' Almost Barbeque. He'd been hinting at leaving since I was released from the hospital, but nobody thought it was a sensible solution.

"Charlie would do the same for me. I can't run away!" I knew that in a house full of people with extraordinary hearing, I was kidding myself with the whisper-shouting, but my words came out that way. Edward released me.

"It's common sense, Bella! Leaving is the surest option. Why can no one see that? I know that you love your father and you want to do what's best for him, but what good will those virtues do you if you're both dead?" he said viciously. I stepped away from him in amazement.

"I can't believe you can say that. He's my family, my father. Would you run if it was Carlisle whose life was in danger?"

"This isn't about me or Carlisle, Bella! God!" He threw his hands into the air dramatically and stalked to the other side of the room. I watched him blur back and forth until he decided to perch on the edge of the bed. "I'm cursed with this eternal telepathy and I still can't understand just what the hell everyone is thinking." He dropped his head into his hands tiredly.

"You know that you can't read my mind, so don't try to blame your telepathy for this." The door swiftly opened then and it wasn't one of the Cullens because they would have knocked out of sheer courtesy. It was Vincent, returned from his most recent patrol judging from the filthy state of his pants and shoes. Esme wouldn't be thrilled about the carpet.

"Must you be so rude?" Edward sneered at him.

"He can't read your mind?" he asked me, fully ignoring Edward.

"No. He's never been able to," I replied as he stared me down.

"And can he read your father's?" I shrugged. Edward always said that Charlie's thoughts were more or less muted in tone. He answered when Vincent showed no sign of retreating under his glare. "He's not closed off to me like Bella, but he's different. More serene than most. What's your point?"

"You're psychics. You have seriously diluted abilities. Probably an effect of interspecies breeding, but…" He trailed off and his ever-present frown deepened.

I giggled. Psychic? Charlie and I are psychics? No. No way. I looked at Edward and he didn't find it as funny as I did. He was doing that vampire-immobility thing that they do when they were thinking at a hundred-miles-per-second. I turned back around to find most of the Cullens had filled up the doorway, their faces replicas of Edward's.

"But what?" Jasper pushed.

"I think that may be why Lorelei needed Charlie." He shoved past the group that had gathered behind him and soon my heavy breathing was the only sound in the room.

**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any characters solely affiliated with the franchise. I do however own all characters that are not widely recognized.**

**I'm trying to avoid having my original characters dominate the story or overshadow the Cullens, but it's difficult since they're so intertwined from the start. There will be chapters with barely any mention of them when we get deeper into the romance/drama subplot. Just hold your britches.**

**Speaking of romance/drama, I'm going to drop a hint. Jasper said a lot of things about Alice, but what was one very important thing that he didn't say? Riddle time, kids: |R|E|A|D|  
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**Thanks to those who reviewed, put this story on their alert/favorite lists, and followed me on Twitter! You know who you are. :D I would have dropped this story if not for you taking the time to leave such nice words.**


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